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14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceNigeria Immigration Service (NIS) — passport portal; Embassy of Nigeria in Washington
Verified
Quick answer: The recommended Nigeria passport photo size is 35 × 45 mm. Plain white background. Neutral expression, glasses prohibited. Last verified .
Requirements
| Format | 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Background | Plain white background. Make photo background white — Nigeria passport → |
| Pose | Full face, head centred, no tilt or rotation. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open. |
| Glasses | Glasses not permitted. See full rules → |
| Lighting | Even lighting without shadows on face and background, no red eyes. |
| Head covering | Religious reasons only; must not cover the facial oval. |
| Attire | Clothing must not blend into the background; face and shoulder line must be clearly defined. |
| Digital resolution | Minimum 600 × 800 px |
| File format | JPEG · sRGB / 24-bit |
| File size | max 2 MB Compress photo to 2 MB — Nigeria passport → |
| Millimetres | 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Centimetres | 3.5 × 4.5 cm |
| Inches | 1.38 × 1.77″ |
| Pixels at 300 dpi | 413 × 531 px |
| Pixels at 600 dpi | 827 × 1063 px |
A Nigerian e-passport application starts with a picture uploaded on the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) passport portal, and the portal states its rules itself: an image of 600 × 800 pixels, a file of no more than 2 MB, in colour (black-and-white is not acceptable), taken within 6 months, with a white background — «white or off-white, without shadows, and plain without texture, objects, or lines» — and the full face, neck and shoulders in frontal view with a neutral, non-smiling expression and the eyes open. The head measures 50–69 % of the height of the image and the eye line is 56–69 % up from the bottom. Hair must not cover the face or the ears, no headphones or mask, and eyeglasses are no longer allowed; a head covering is accepted only for religious reasons and only if it hides no facial feature.
The rules are relaxed for children under 5, who must look toward the camera with the face centred. The picture is then taken again at the biometric enrolment at the Immigration Office, and applicants also bring two passport-sized photographs (one for a minor), endorsed at the back by the guarantor or parent; the Embassy in Washington asks for two current ones, preferably on a white background.
Examples and mistakes
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for Nigeria passport applications. These are the differences that most often determine whether a document photo is accepted.
Typical reasons a photo is rejected under the rules Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) — passport portal; Embassy of Nigeria in Washington publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| A picture that is not 600 × 800 pixels, or a file over 2 MB | Crop to 600 × 800 pixels and keep the file under 2 MB. |
| Glasses worn, or hair covering the face or ears | Remove the glasses and tuck the hair behind the ears. |
| A background that is not white or off-white, with shadows, texture or a cut-out edge | Photograph against a real plain white wall instead of removing the background. |
| A black-and-white photograph, over- or under-exposed, grainy or over-compressed | Use a sharp colour photograph with natural skin tones. |
| A smile, tilted head, eyes not open or not centred in the frame | Face the camera with a neutral expression, eyes open, the head centred and 50–69 % of the height. |
How to take it
Background: plain white
The tool puts in the required background. Stand half a metre from a plain light wall, face a window and shoot without flash — then there are no shadows on your face or on the wall.
Size: 35 × 45 mm
Camera at eye level, about a metre away; head and shoulders in the shot. The tool crops it to the required size.
Glasses prohibited
Take them off before the shot.
Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open
Look straight into the lens with your head level; keep hair away from your eyes and eyebrows.
An ordinary selfie will do: we fix the background, light and framing ourselves — to this document's rules. The preview is free.
Head straightHold the phone at eye level and your head straightens by itself.
Face uncoveredMove your hair away so your eyes and eyebrows show.
No glassesTake your glasses off — this document's rules require it.Printing and submission
| 10 × 15 cm · 4 × 6″ | 8 (4 × 2) |
|---|---|
| A4 · 21 × 29.7 cm | 36 (6 × 6) |
Print at 100% scale, borderless, and turn off fit-to-page so each photo keeps its exact size.
A Nigerian passport is applied for online on the NIS passport portal (picture upload, payment, appointment), then at the chosen Immigration Office in Nigeria or at a Nigerian embassy, high commission or consulate abroad, where the photograph and biometric data are captured in person and the printed passport photographs are handed in.
passport.immigration.gov.ng — choose your processing centre and booklet size (32 or 64 pages)
Picture upload 600 × 800 pixels, up to 2 MB, white background; two passport-sized prints endorsed at the back.
Authority pageThe mission that covers your country
Two current passport-size photographs, preferably on white; biometric and image capture in person.
Authority page| Authority | Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) — passport portal; Embassy of Nigeria in Washington |
|---|---|
| Source | Nigerian passport photograph requirements |
| Verified |
Questions
On the NIS portal: a colour picture of 600 × 800 pixels, up to 2 MB, taken within 6 months on a white or off-white plain background, face, neck and shoulders from the front with a neutral expression and eyes open, head 50–69 % of the height, no glasses, hair off the face and ears. Paper copies are two passport-sized photographs endorsed at the back.
The upload is 600 × 800 pixels (a 3:4 portrait) and a file of 2 MB at most. The pages read describe the paper copies only as «passport sized» and give no size in millimetres.
No. The NIS photo guidelines say eyeglasses are no longer allowed in the passport photo, even if you wear them every day. Hats and head coverings are accepted only for religious reasons and only if they hide no facial feature.
White: the upload rules say «must have white background», and the photo guidelines show white or off-white, plain, without shadows, texture, objects or lines. Do not cut the background out with a retouching tool.
The ICAO rules are relaxed for children under 5: they must look toward the camera with the face centred, no other person may be in the photo, and it is acceptable if an infant's eyes are not entirely open. A minor's paper photograph is endorsed on the back by the consenting parent.
The recommended size for the Nigeria passport photo is 35 × 45 mm.
Plain white background. No gradients, textures, shadows or objects behind the subject are permitted. The tool removes background shadows automatically, but starting with a flat, evenly lit wall gives the best result.
Yes. Stand in front of a flat white wall in good natural light, face the light source and use the rear camera of your phone with a 3-second timer. The tool handles the crop, background normalisation and compliance check against the Nigeria biometric standard.
Most passport authorities require the photo to be taken within the last six months. Do not reuse an older portrait even if your appearance has not changed.
Anfas.Pro provides a 14-day full refund if the photo is rejected by the Nigeria authority and you supply the official rejection notice. See the refund policy page for the exact process.
Glasses not permitted. In practice, the biometric scanner at submission points flags even minor lens glare that looks fine to the naked eye. Removing glasses before shooting is the only option that eliminates the risk entirely.
35 × 45 mm = 3.5 × 4.5 cm = 1.38 × 1.77 inches. At 300 dpi that is 413 × 531 pixels; at 600 dpi, 827 × 1063 pixels.
Religious reasons only; must not cover the facial oval. The face must stay fully visible from chin to forehead and on both sides, with no shadow across it.